Spring Training 2025: Non-Roster Invitees

2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #29

2022 Topps Heritage #656

2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #11

2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #33

2024 Choice Buffalo Bisons #8

In years' past, news of Phillies' non-roster invitees trickled in over the weeks and months leading to the opening of spring training.  This year, the Phillies gave us one big press release on January 14th announcing 23 non-roster invitees, and they's added three more names to the list since then.

Here's a look at the 26 non-roster invitees opening camp with the Phillies, their 2024 organizations and one of the more recently available baseball cards.

1. Josh Breaux (c) - Yankees / Phillies - 2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #29
2. Payton Henry (c) - Blue Jays - 2024 Choice Buffalo Bisons #5
3. Paul McIntosh (c) - Marlins - 2024 Choice Pensacola Blue Wahoos #17
4. Caleb Ricketts (c) - Phillies - 2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #11
5. Rodolfo Castro (inf) - Phillies - 2023 Topps Heritage #453
6. Otto Kemp (inf) - Phillies - 2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #33
7. Rafael Lantigua (inf) - Blue Jays - 2024 Choice Buffalo Bisons #8
8. Aidan Miller (inf) - Phillies - 2024 Topps Pro Debut #PD-31
9. Carson Taylor (inf) - Phillies - 2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #7
10. Justin Crawford (of) - Phillies - 2024 Topps Pro Debut #PD-124
11. Gabriel Rincones Jr. (of) - Phillies - 2024 Topps Pro Debut #PD-54
12. Matt Kroon (util) - Phillies - 2024 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #14
13. Nabil Crismatt (rhp) - Dodgers / Rangers / Padres - 2023 Topps World Baseball Classic #17
14. Jose Cuas (rhp) - Cubs / Blue Jays / Phillies - 2024 Topps Heritage #151
15. Joel Kuhnel (rhp) - Astros / Blue Jays / Brewers / Rays - 2020 Topps Update #U-281
16. Griff McGarry (rhp) - Phillies - 2024 Topps Pro Debut #PD-16
17. John McMillon (rhp) - Royals / Marlins - 2024 Topps #571
18. Nicholas Padilla (rhp) - White Sox - 2024 Choice Charlotte Knights #16
19. Andrew Painter (rhp) - Phillies - 2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #37
20. Austin Schulfer (rhp) - Twins / Tigers - 2023 Choice St. Paul Saints SGA
21. Guillo Zuniga (rhp) - Angels - 2023 Topps Now World Baseball Classic #WBC-22
22. Tristan Garnett (lhp) - Phillies - 2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #20
23. Nick Vespi (lhp) - Orioles - 2024 Choice Norfolk Tides #39
24. Koyo Aoyagi (rhp) - Hanshin Tigers - 2024 Topps NPB #78
25. Christian Arroyo (inf) - Brewers - 2023 Topps #352
26. Oscar Mercado (of) - Padres / Tigers - 2024 Choice El Paso Chihuahuas #17

Aoyagi signed a minor league deal with the Phillies on January 17th, and he's a veteran of nine seasons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league.  Aoyagi was a an All-Star in Japan in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

On Valentine's Day, the Phillies officially signed Christian Arroyo (inf) and Oscar Mercado (of) to minor league contracts with invitations to spring training.  Arroyo has spent seven seasons in the majors as a back-up infielder with the Giants, Rays, Indians and Red Sox.  Mercado, who played in one game for the Phillies in 2022, was most recently in the majors with the Cardinals in 2023.

2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #7

2024 Topps Pro Debut #PD-54

2024 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #14

2024 Topps Heritage #151

2020 Topps Update #U-281

2024 Topps #571

2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #20

2023 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary #91

2023 Topps NPB #105

2023 Topps #352

2024-25 Offseason Begins - Early November Notes (Part 2)

2024 Topps Heritage #242

2024 Topps #571

2024 Choice Rocket City Trash Pandas #13

Once I started summarizing the player moves over the first week of the offseason, I realized I needed to break everything into two posts given the flurry of activity on Monday, November 4th.  (Part 1 of these Early November Notes can be found here.)

Devin Sweet (rhp) was acquired from the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations and added to the 40-man roster.  Sweet has pitched in seven big-league games, all in 2023, with the Mariners and Athletics.

John McMillon (rhp) was claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins.  He's appeared in 14 games with the Royals and Marlins over the past two seasons, and was the winning pitcher in the Marlins game against the Phillies on September 7th.

Alan Rangel (rhp) who appeared in 10 games for the IronPigs in 2024, and who had pitched in seven seasons in the Braves' minor league system, was added to the 40-man roster.

Clearing space on the 40-man roster, the Phillies outrighted Yunior Marte (rhp), Luis F. Ortiz (rhp), Freddy Tarnok (rhp), Kolby Allard (lhp) and Rodolfo Castro (inf), with all clearing waivers and becoming free agents.  Marte relieved in 63 games for the Phillies over the past two seasons, and was 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA in 65 1/3 innings pitched.  Ortiz appeared in 15 games for the Phillies, with just one game this past season, and had a 4.12 ERA in 19 2/3 innings pitched.  He spent the bulk of 2024 on the injured list.

Tarnok never pitched for the Phillies.  Allard was a somewhat reliable emergency fifth starter for the club, going 2-0 with a 5.00 ERA, finding his most success in two starts in August.  Added to the NLDS roster, he didn't appear in any of the four games.  Like Ortiz, Castro was injured for a lot of 2024, and never got the call back to the majors.  In 14 games with the Phillies in 2023, he batted .100 (3 for 30).  Marte, Ortiz and Castro have their only Phillies cardboard appearances in the somewhat rare 2024 team-issued photo cards, shown below.